--- title: "Science Media Centre rating & legitimacy | CharityCompare" description: "Is Science Media Centre a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 79/100. Accounts 2025: income £775k · 94% on charitable activities. Reg 1140827." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/science-media-centre retrieved: 2026-08-18T02:41:09.806Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- Quick answer ## Is Science Media Centre a good charity? Science Media Centre scores 79/100 (4 stars, Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£775k total income, 94% of spending on charitable activities). This reflects financial transparency and stewardship on paper — not the real-world impact of its programmes. See the full breakdown. London · UK-wide · NW1 2BE | Reg [1140827](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/science-media-centre) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1140827) Donate ## How can you give to SCIENCE MEDIA CENTRE? You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official SCIENCE MEDIA CENTRE form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form. [Donate](https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=1140827) ## What does Science Media Centre do? Science Media Centre is a registered charity (no. 1140827) working in arts & culture across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 94% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 12 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been broadly stable over recent years. CharityCompare's Clarity Score rates the organisation only from public Charity Commission accounts — accountability, financial health, efficiency and community support — not the quality or impact of its programmes. Summarised from public filings — Science Media Centre hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=science-media-centre) **In short:** SCIENCE MEDIA CENTRE scores 79 out of 100 (4 stars). 94% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns. ## What is Science Media Centre? Science Media Centre has a Clarity Score of 79 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 1140827. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Arts & culture. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £775k, with 94% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 12 months of operating costs. No major red flags from our filing review. Scores are independent and based on official filings — not a donation recommendation. Data from [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 17 July 2026. Overall score 79/100 4★ · Good Cause spend 94% 3-yr avg · charitable activities Accountability 83/100 Finance beacon Income £775k Latest year 2025 Reserves 12 mo Months of running costs Accounts filing On time Charity Commission £16.9 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 7% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high ## How does SCIENCE MEDIA CENTRE compare? Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers SCIENCE MEDIA CENTRE scores higher than. Income band (£500k–£1m)45thpercentile **Scores higher than 45% of 2,187 charities in its income band** · 79/100 vs 79 peer average (marker). Arts & culture charities58thpercentile **Scores higher than 58% of 624 charities in this cause** · 79/100 vs 76 peer average (marker). ## How reliable is Science Media Centre's data? Source Charity Commission (England & Wales) Accounts year 2025 Filing date 24 June 2026 Profile reviewed 17 July 2026 High confidence — complete filing data Scores reflect the latest annual accounts on the register. Clarity Score measures how clearly the charity accounts for money in those filings — not programme impact. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Sources: [Charity Commission for England and Wales](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), [Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator](https://www.oscr.org.uk/) and [Charity Commission for Northern Ireland](https://www.charitycommissionni.org.uk/). [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/). ## What is Science Media Centre's Beacon report? Detailed accountability and finance metrics from UK regulator filings — structured for transparency in our four-beacon report. ### Accountability & Transparency Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies. 83/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Filing history (5 years) 100% on-time over five years = 15 pts · one late filing = 5 pts · two or more = 0 pts. | 100% | 15/15 pts | | Trustee oversight Three or more trustees on the register = 15 pts, scaled down for fewer (governance red flag below three). | 100% | 13 trustees · 15/15 pts | | Declared policies Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return. | 30% | 3/10 pts | ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 87/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Reserves (months of cash) 3–24 months = full marks, tapering on both sides · 0 months or 4+ years (hoarding) = 0 pts. | 100% | 12 months · 15/15 pts | | Income stability / growth +20% or more over the window = 10 pts · flat = 5 pts · −20% or worse = 0 pts, scaled between. | 60% | 6/10 pts · 3-year average | | Liabilities to assets 0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt. | 100% | 6% · 5/5 pts | ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 100/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 100% | 94% · 10/10 pts (3-year average) | | Fundraising efficiency ≤10p to raise £1 = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 40p or above (fundraising cost ÷ income). | 100% | 6p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average) | ### Community Support Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff. 0/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Volunteer-to-staff ratio Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between. | 0% | Not reported · 0/10 pts | [How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ## What is Science Media Centre's Clarity Score? 79/100 total · Good · 4 of 5 stars Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings. 83/100 Accountability & Transparency 87/100 Financial Health 100/100 Financial Efficiency 0/100 Community Support ### Accountability & Transparency Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies. 83/100 Filing history (5 years)15/15 pts Trustee oversight13 trustees · 15/15 pts Declared policies3/10 pts ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 87/100 Reserves (months of cash)12 months · 15/15 pts Income stability / growth6/10 pts · 3-year average Liabilities to assets6% · 5/5 pts ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 100/100 Program expense ratio94% · 10/10 pts (3-year average) Fundraising efficiency6p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average) ### Community Support Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff. 0/100 Volunteer-to-staff ratioNot reported · 0/10 pts ## How much does Science Media Centre raise and spend? Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings | Category | Amount | % of spend | | --- | --- | --- | | Total income | £775k | — | | Total expenditure | £868k | — | | Charitable activities | £826k | 95% | | Fundraising | £41k | 5% | | Governance & admin | £7k | 1% | 95%On charitable activities ## Where does the money go? Latest accounts (2025) · £868k spent - Charitable activities95% · £826k - Fundraising5% · £41k - Governance1% · £7k ## What trust indicators does Science Media Centre have? Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported. - ✓ Accounts filed on time up to date · last filing 24 June 2026 - — Trustee board size (3–12) 13 trustees on the Charity Commission register Fundraising Regulator Status not yet checked Separate from our financial scores — shows whether the charity follows the Code of Fundraising Practice. [Check Fundraising Regulator →](https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/members/) Official register Reg 1140827 Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission. [View on Charity Commission →](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1140827) ### Trustees & officers - John Davidson since 2019 - Alex Keenlyside since 2020 - Jonathan Bruun since 2020 - Nicholas James Hillier Chair · since 2021 - Joanne Manning since 2021 - Alice Claire Henchley since 2021 - AMANDA BORTON since 2022 - Prof Azra Catherine Hilary Ghani since 2023 - Richard Douglas Fisher since 2023 - Professor Charlotte Summers since 2024 - Prof Peter John Morland Openshaw since 2024 - Ashlee Khan since 2025 100 How we score charities +The Clarity Score is a 100-point rating from UK regulator filings (Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR and CCNI). Four pillars — Accountability & Transparency (40), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10) — each scored on a continuous scale, not pass/fail cutoffs. A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically. [Full methodology →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) Accountability & Transparency Scored from filings 40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15, scaling up to a board of three or more), declared policies (10). Financial Health Scored from filings 30 points — reserves (15, full marks 3–24 months, tapering on both sides), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5, scaling down as debt rises). Financial Efficiency Scored from filings 20 points — program expense ratio and fundraising cost, each on a graduated scale (not a single cutoff). Kept at 20% of the total: financial-ratio scoring alone is not a reliable effectiveness signal (see "why not just an overhead ratio?" below). Community Support Scored from filings 10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data, scaling continuously up to a 2:1 ratio. Overall score Sum of all pillar points. Display stars use the same bands as the labels: 90–100 → 5★ Exceptional; 75–89 → 4★ Good; 60–74 → 3★ Needs improvement; 1–59 → 2★ Poor; 0 → not rated. ## How have Science Media Centre's finances changed over five years? - Income - Spending - Cause spend Values in £ thousands · Cause spend plotted only when the filing discloses a split · Source: Charity Commission accounts ## What are the key facts about Science Media Centre? Overall score 79/100 (4★) Income £775k Cause spend 94% of expenditure Reg number 1140827 Scope UK-wide Reserves 12 months Trustees 13 Accounts year 2025 Filing up to date ## How does SCIENCE MEDIA CENTRE compare, and where else can you look? [Compare SCIENCE MEDIA CENTRE with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=science-media-centre) [More arts & culture charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/arts) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ### Where SCIENCE MEDIA CENTRE sits The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby. - [arts charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/arts) - [education charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/education) - [Charities in London](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/london) - [arts charities in London](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/arts/london) ### Similar arts & culture charities Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score - [HACKNEY QUEST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/hackney-quest) 100/100 · £827k - [COMMON WEALTH THEATRE LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/common-wealth-theatre-limited) 100/100 · £760k - [PALLANT HOUSE GALLERY](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/pallant-house-gallery) 99/100 · £3.0m - [CREATE (ARTS) LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/create-arts-limited) 99/100 · £1.6m ## How can you share Science Media Centre's rating? 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Free to use — a lightweight HTML badge or an embeddable score widget, each linking back to this independent profile and our [methodology](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology). BadgeScore widget [♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 79/100 ★★★★★](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/science-media-centre) Lightweight HTML badge (no iframe) — paste anywhere ♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 79/100 ★★★★★ Copy code ## Frequently asked questions Common questions about Science Media Centre's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status. Is Science Media Centre a good charity? + Science Media Centre scores 79 out of 100 (4 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 94% of its spending goes to charitable activities and its accounts are up to date. That reflects how transparent and financially healthy it looks on paper — it does not measure the real-world impact of its work, so treat it as one factor alongside the cause you care about. CharityCompare never tells you where to donate. Is Science Media Centre a legitimate charity? + Yes — Science Media Centre is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1140827). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1140827. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact. What is Science Media Centre's charity number? + Science Media Centre's charity number is 1140827. Check that number on the official register (Charity Commission, OSCR or CCNI) or this CharityCompare profile before you donate — scammers sometimes reuse real numbers on fake appeals. What is Science Media Centre's charity rating? + Science Media Centre scores 79 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars — Good). The Clarity Score V1 sums four pillars from UK regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 pts), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10). Stars use the same bands as those labels — 90+ is 5★ Exceptional. It is not an impact ranking. Does Science Media Centre have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Science Media Centre. Instead you get a filing-based Clarity Score, cause spend, reserves and red flags such as late accounts. For formal complaints about a charity, contact the Charity Commission, OSCR, CCNI or the Fundraising Regulator as appropriate. How much of my donation reaches Science Media Centre? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, 94% of Science Media Centre's total spending went to charitable activities (3-yr avg across disclosed years). That is the closest official figure to "how much of your donation reaches the cause" — it is an average across all spending in the filing, not a pound-by-pound breakdown of an individual gift. What are Science Media Centre's overheads? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 6% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 7% of total expenditure at Science Media Centre. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Science Media Centre's chief executive is paid — where disclosure rules apply, senior pay appears in the trustees' annual report on the Charity Commission register. How much income does Science Media Centre receive? + Science Media Centre reported £775k total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: stable. Are Science Media Centre's accounts up to date? + Filing status: up to date (last filing 2026-06-24). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score. Where is Science Media Centre based? + Science Media Centre is listed at London · UK-wide · NW1 2BE and operates UK-wide, focused on arts & culture. How does CharityCompare score Science Media Centre? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Science Media Centre's regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 points — filing history, trustees, policies), Financial Health (30 — reserves, income trend, debt), Financial Efficiency (20 — cause spend and fundraising cost, on a graduated scale) and Community Support (10 — volunteer-to-staff ratio). An open statutory inquiry scores 0. The score measures reporting on paper, not programme impact. CharityCompare is free for donors, takes no commission on donations, and scores cannot be bought. How often is this page updated? + This profile was last updated on 17 July 2026 from the latest UK regulator data available to CharityCompare, and Science Media Centre's most recent accounts cover 2025. Scores and figures refresh whenever we re-ingest the register, so the page reflects our latest data pull rather than a one-off review.